Compensator section for a pipeline

ABSTRACT

Compensator section for a pipeline for carrying hot fluid, including several expandable portions and a double walled tube, each wall of which having rigid end portions, a rigid middle portion and two longitudinally extensible portions separating the respective extreme portions from the middle portion, and a chamber defined by the double walled tube for the circulation of cooling fluid between the two walls thereof.

United States Patent 1191 ljzerman Aug. 26, 1975 1 1 COMPENSATOR SECTION FOR A PIPELINE [75] lnventor: Eduard C. Ijzerman, Velsen-Noord,

Netherlands [73] Assignee: Hoogovens Ijmuiden BV,

Netherlands [22] Filed: Aug. 28, 1973 1211 Appl No.: 392,210

[30] Foreign Application Priority Data Sept, 1, 1972 Nctherlands 7211908 [52] U.S. Cl. 285/41; 138/110; 138/120; 138/148; 138/155; 285/45; 285/227 [51] Int. Cl. F161 53/00; F161 55/00 [58] Field of Search ..138/110,1l3,1l4,120,

[56] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS Haynes 285/227 3,105,708 10/1963 Esty 285/41 3,186,721 6/1965 Pctri 285/41 X 3,369,829 2/1968 Hopkins" 285/45 X 3,669,470 6/1972 Dcurloo 285/226 X Primary Examiner-John W. Huckert Assistant Examiner-Charles Gorenstein Attorney, Agent, or Firm-Stevens, Davis, Miller & Mosher 5 7 ABSTRACT Compensator section for a pipeline for carrying hot fluid, including several expandable portions and a double walled tube, each wall of which having rigid end portions, a rigid middle portion and two longitudinally extensible portions separating the respective extreme portions from the middle portion, and a chamber defined by the double walled tube for the circulation of cooling fluid between the two walls thereof.

14 Claims, 1 Drawing Figure COMPENSATOR SECTION FOR A PIPELINE This invention relates to a compensator section for a pipeline which carries hot fluid, and especially relates to a compensator in a refractory lined blow line or hot air main which connects the ring main for the preheated air blast of a blast furnace to a tuyere.

In Dutch Pat. application Ser. No. 7,005,5 l 8 it is proposed to connect the different parts of a hot air main by means of hinge-joints which are like cardan compensators. At the both ends of a pipe section, which lies between the hot blast ring main and the blow bend, there are provided cardan compensators, designed to accommodate horizontal and vertical expansions when in operation and to correct for constructional inaccuracies resulting from the mounting.

The object of the invention is to provide a compensator section for a pipeline, especially a hot air main which is inserted in the pipeline by means of flange connections (e.g. between the hot blast ring main on one side and the blow bend on the other side) and nevertheless ensures, some independent movement of the two connected points. I

According the invention the compensator section includes a double-walled pipe constituting a length of the pipeline, each wall of the double wall having two rigid end portions, a rigid intermediate portion and two longitudinally expansible portions separating the respective end portions from the middle portion, there being circulating space for cooling fluid between the two walls of the double wall.

The invention also relates to a pipeline, especially a hot air main, including such a compensator section.

By this construction a considerable amount of freedom of movement may be obtained (a spatial flexibility) and displacement involving the sliding over each other of engaging surfaces can be avoided. With the double wall it is possible to cool the compensator. Consequently, lower themal load on the material of the compensator may be obtained.

One embodiment of the invention will be described by way of example with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which the single FIGURE shows a longitudinal section of the embodiment which is in a hot air main of a blast furnace.

In the wall 1 of a blast-furnace there is an assembly for the hot air blast comprising a holder 2, a tuyere cooler 3 and a tuyere 4. Feeding the tuyere is a blow pipe 5 which is joined to a branch 9 of a hot blast ring main (not shown) by means ofa blow bend 6, a conical pipe section 7 and a compensator section 8.

So that the supporting forces are as close as possible along the center line of the blow pipes and the blow bend 6, a drawrod 10 carries the blow bend 6 on the wall 1 of the blast-furnace, the extension of the line of the drawrod 10 passing through the intersection of the centerlines of the blow pipe 5 and the blow bend 6.

This drawrod 10 also supports the blow pipe 5 against vertical movements, so that it is possible to exchange the concave-convex connection between the tuyere 4 and blow pipe 5 as desired by any other suitable connection such as a flange connection or a bayonet-catch connection.

The hot air main is lined with refractory material throughout its length. To accommodate thermal expansion during operation of the furnace and also to make possible limited variations of the dimensions of the hot air main in the course ofoperation of the furnace, there is provided the expansible and compressible connecting piece or compensator section 8.

The compensator 8 has flanges 24, 11 at its ends by which it is united to the adjoining sections 7, 9 of the hot air main. Between the flanges the compensator 8 has a double-walled pipe constituted by an inner wall 12 and an outer wall 19 radially spaced therefrom with a circulating space 18 for cooling fluid between them.

The inner wall has cylindrical rigid end portions which are rigidly secured to the flanges 24, 11 and two longitudinally expansible portions constituted by bellows l3, 14 of transversely-corrugated sheet, which are separated by a cylindrical rigid intermediate portion. The outer wall 19 likewise has cylindrical rigid'end portions fast with the flanges 24, 11, a cylindrical rigid intermediate portion and two longitudinally expansible portions constituted by bellows 16, 17 of corrugated sheet in which the corrugations run transversely, i.e. circumferentially. The bellows 16, 17 sealingly connect the intermediate rigid portion to the respective rigid end portions. The two rigid intermediate portions of the inner and outer walls 12, 19 are connected by a plurality of radial members.

The rigid portions of the inner wall 12, which are throughout lined with refractory material, have conical extensions 15 which extend across the gaps between them and are radially within the bellows l3, 14. The opposed pairs of extensions 15, which do not meet, converge towards each other and are lined with refractory material, their conicity increasing the adherence of the lining. The gaps between the extensions 15, which may for example be 35mm. wide, are filled with a compressible refractory material 28 of a fibrous structure.

The inner wall 12 is thus lined throughout. The central part of the compensator i.e. the two intermediate rigid portions, are supported by the refractory lining and by the bellows l3, l4, l6, 17. The outer wall 19 is protected by a cylindrical jacket 22 which at one end is rigidly secured to the upper end portion of the wall 19. At its other end it is capable of limited free movement with respect to the lower end portion of the wall 19, their relative longitudinal movement being limited by stops 23 on the wall 19.

There is thus obtained a compensator permitting a considerable degree of relatively free movement of the connected pipe sections 7, 9, particularly longitudinally. Cooling fluid to cool the compensator can be circulated by natural or forced flow through the space 18, which is a single chamber. For this purpose the outer wall has a water inlet connection 20 at its lowest point and an outlet 21 at its highest point for steam formed in the chamber 18. This manner of cooling makes use of the high latent heat of evaporation of water, but simple water cooling (water in and water out) could be used, or cooling by means of pressurized air, suitable connections to the chamber 18 being provided, The cooling fluid contacts the whole of both the inner and outer walls l2, 19.

What we claim is:

l. A compensator section for a pipeline for hot fluid, the section including a double-walled pipe constituting a length of the pipeline, each wall of the double wall having two rigid end portions, a rigid intermediate portion and two longitudinally expansible portions separating the respective end portions from the intermediate portion, there being circulating space for cooling fluid between the two walls of the double wall.

2. A compensator section according to claim 1 wherein the said expansible portions are corrugatedsheet bellows.

3. A compensator section according to claim 1 wherein the respective said intermediate portions of the two walls are rigidly connected.

4. A compensator section according to claim 1 wherein cooling fluid in the said circulating space will contact all of the said rigid and expansible portions of the double wall.

5. A compensator section according to claim 4 wherein the said circulating space is a single chamber.

6. A compensator section according to claim 1 wherein a protective jacket is arranged outside the outer wall of the double wall, one end of the protective jacket secured to one rigid end portion of the outer wall and the other end moveably maintained on the other end portion of the outer wall for limited relative movecirculating space and a cooling water outlet at the highest point in the said space.

9. A compensator section according to claim 6 having an inlet and outlet to the said circulating space for pressurized cooling air.

10. A compensator section according to claim 1 wherein the inner wall of the double wall has, at least at its rigid portions. an inner lining of refractory material.

11. A compensator section according to claim 10 wherein the rigid portions of the inner wall have refractory-lined conical extensions radially within the expansible portions of the inner wall.

12. A compensator section according to claim '10 wherein the refractory lining has gaps. said gaps being filled with compressible refractory material at the regions of the expansible portions of the inner wall.

13. A hot air main leading from a air blast ring main to a tuyere in a blast furnace having a compensator section according to claim l0.

14. A hot air main according to claim 13 wherein the compensator section has flanges secured to the said rigid end portions by which it is fixed to adjacent sections of the pipeline or hot air main. l= l I 

1. A compensator section for a pipeline for hot fluid, the section including a double-walled pipe constituting a length of the pipeline, each wall of the double wall having two rigid end portions, a rigid intermediate portion and two longitudinally expansible portions separating the respective end portions from the intermediate portion, there being circulating space for cooling fluid between the two walls of the double wall.
 2. A compensAtor section according to claim 1 wherein the said expansible portions are corrugated-sheet bellows.
 3. A compensator section according to claim 1 wherein the respective said intermediate portions of the two walls are rigidly connected.
 4. A compensator section according to claim 1 wherein cooling fluid in the said circulating space will contact all of the said rigid and expansible portions of the double wall.
 5. A compensator section according to claim 4 wherein the said circulating space is a single chamber.
 6. A compensator section according to claim 1 wherein a protective jacket is arranged outside the outer wall of the double wall, one end of the protective jacket secured to one rigid end portion of the outer wall and the other end moveably maintained on the other end portion of the outer wall for limited relative movement.
 7. A compensator section according to claim 6 having a cooling water inlet at a lowest point of the said circulating space and a steam outlet at a highest point.
 8. A compensator section according to claim 6 having a cooling water inlet at the lowest point of the said circulating space and a cooling water outlet at the highest point in the said space.
 9. A compensator section according to claim 6 having an inlet and outlet to the said circulating space for pressurized cooling air.
 10. A compensator section according to claim 1 wherein the inner wall of the double wall has, at least at its rigid portions, an inner lining of refractory material.
 11. A compensator section according to claim 10 wherein the rigid portions of the inner wall have refractory-lined conical extensions radially within the expansible portions of the inner wall.
 12. A compensator section according to claim 10 wherein the refractory lining has gaps, said gaps being filled with compressible refractory material at the regions of the expansible portions of the inner wall.
 13. A hot air main leading from a air blast ring main to a tuyere in a blast furnace having a compensator section according to claim
 10. 14. A hot air main according to claim 13 wherein the compensator section has flanges secured to the said rigid end portions by which it is fixed to adjacent sections of the pipeline or hot air main. 